I speak to CEOs daily about their challenges, opportunities, their people and obstacles in their way. Clearly every one of them have their own sets of issues, insecurities, aspirations and intentions.
Some of them lean in with curiosity to learn more from others, while some of them think they know it all. Growth mindset versus fixed mindset.
One clearly defined feature though that is often lacking, is their willingness to be truly courageous.
I'm not talking about the simple courage that plays to your strengths. Yes of course, that's great but that's easy to do. It's easy to do the things you've always done and leaned into what you know best. But are you truly a courageous leader?
I'm talking about the hard stuff. The stuff that really tests you. The stuff that invites vulnerability and realness to you as a human. I learned this years ago and didn't realize it at the time. but the CEO is in fact quite an intimidating creature for many. Just the title invokes fear and uncertainty. Quick to judge people, employees are scared at the thought of interacting with the CEOs of their company. Why is that? Hollywood movies? Bad bosses?
In my mind, too many CEOs aren't being real or showing up in a real way. Being vulnerable, sharing weaknesses, talking about mistakes, inviting feedback. It's as if the CEO title means you aren't allowed to screw up or get help? I think that's called a robot - albeit they make mistakes sometimes too.
The more people invite feedback, and are open with the facts, the more they are relatable and frankly inspiring.
If you aspire to lead courageously, ask yourself these key questions:
1) Do you regularly ask others for help?
The bravest leaders understand that seeking help is not a sign of weakness, but of courage. They know surrounding themselves with feedback makes the entire team stronger. Asking for help shows humility, respect for others’ perspectives, and commitment to learning and progress. If you avoid seeking input due to ego or pride, you have more to learn about courageous leadership.
2) Do you view failures and mistakes as opportunities to improve?
Fear of failure leads to stagnation, but the most effective leaders see setbacks as opportunities to get better. They create safe environments where people feel comfortable raising issues early so improvements can be made. Courageous leaders don't punish experimentation or trivialize others’ errors. They celebrate failures as part of the iterative process of achieving high performance.
3) Are you as transparent in failure as in success?
In all times, especially difficult times, opacity breeds distrust. But courageous leaders communicate openly and truthfully. They welcome tough questions and acknowledge when they don’t have all the answers. They share bad news along with good, knowing transparency builds loyalty and engagement. Courageous leaders do not hide problems; they confront them directly with candor and care.
If you can answer yes to all these questions about seeking help, learning from failure and being transparent, you are one of the 0.0001%. Congratulations! We need more leaders like you!!!
But if any no’s surfaced, it's not too late to learn, adapt and level up your courage. After all, you have nothing to lose literally and everything to gain.
I'd welcome your thoughts and happy to experience share too!